A variety of processes in industries are carried out by transmitting signals from cables to equipment or machinery. The connectors are used to interconnect cables and the equipment.
The catch is that you can’t use your average connectors used in household machinery in an industrial setting. The industrial environment is much harsher as the machinery involved can face rough usage along with high temperatures and pressures.
Hence, you need much stronger, sturdier, and ruggedized industrial connectors that can serve multiple advantages over regular connectors.
Read on ahead to find out some of the essential functions of Industrial Connectors.
Industrial Connectors Are Excellent For Weatherproofing and Waterproofing
While an electrical machine has proper housing that isolates it from the outside environment, the connections are still exposed and are vulnerable to temperature and/or moisture. The electrical components are affected badly if the temperatures or moisture go beyond a certain safe limit.
Therefore, heavy-duty industrial connectors are used to provide a safe and secure connection to provide the proper isolation at the points where a wire must be connected to the machinery.
Nevertheless, TME Electronics offers more than 20,000 unique Industrial Connectors with warehouse stock of similar pieces exceeding over 50,000 in quantity. TME electronics sources its products from 1,200 producers and ships around 5,000 packages every single day to 133 countries. You can visit their industrial connectors collection here https://www.tme.com/us/en-us/katalog/industrial-connectors_33/.
Industrial Connectors Provide Damping Against Vibrations
Industrial machinery usually runs at high speeds or in the vicinity of a machine that is running at high speeds. This could cause vibrations across the equipment. Although machines themselves would have some form of dampening against the vibrations, the wires are again left exposed.
The vibrations can cause frequent connection/disconnection that can fry the electronic boards. Not to mention, the machine could be left unusable and will take several minutes to restart after losing connection.
Industrial connectors serve the function of providing a tight and secure connection that has an appropriate amount of resistance against vibrations.
Industrial Connectors Have A High Current Carrying Capacity
A high current carrying capacity is normally required in industrial machinery such as generator sets and distribution boards. Additionally, the wires are usually three phases instead of single phases (single-phase wires are used in homes).
The industrial connectors can handle upwards of 430 amperes current reliably even up to 100,000 cycles – which is plenty for the entire service life of the components they connect.
Industrial Connectors Are Recommended In Hazardous Locations
Industrial connectors are recommended to be used in hazardous areas such as coal mines, oil rigs, or petrochemical plants. Flammable gases are abundantly present at these locations and even a single spark can be extremely disastrous. Industrial connectors provide a secure connection along with extra insulation to prevent any risks of dangerous outcomes.
In addition, the gases can seep into the machinery via exposed connection areas. The elements in these gases can cause reactions that can corrupt the electrical components just as moisture causes rust on pipes.
Conclusion
Industrial Connectors are used in much harsher environments to provide several advantages that can’t be covered by simple household connectors.
The industrial connectors can withstand high temperatures with their extra insulation and can provide a safe and secure connection that eliminates the chances of disconnection. Furthermore, they have a robust design that dampens vibrations across connection ports to prevent any damage to the wires or the ports themselves.
Finally, the machines would themselves have an insulating housing, but the connecting points are exposed. Industrial connectors help in properly isolating machinery from its environment, so any infiltration of harmful outside gases into the equipment is prevented.